Cheap Whiskey
by Defeated Horizon
Summary: Scenes from an evening after a particularly difficult case. Tony and Tim friendship and Gibbs fatherly love.


Short story I posted over at the NFA community under my other alias "Passenger" (which was already taken on ffnet...)

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Warnings: Alcohol drinking, mention of disturbing crimes, overly dramatic

Characters: Tim, Tony, Gibbs

Spoilers: none

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS, CBS does. I'm just borrowing for fun. Not making any money from this, either (how could I?)

Summary: Scenes of an evening after a particularly difficult case.

-----

'Happy' was probably not the most fitting qualifier to describe the expression on McGee's face when he opened his door to find DiNozzo standing outside his flat that night.

"What do you want, Tony?" he asked in a toneless voice.

"Hey Probie," said DiNozzo. The smile he offered was faint and quite obviously forced. His face got as close to McGee's as the half-opened door allowed him to, and he sniffed expertly, then nodded to himself. "Yes, I figured you'd be starting to get drunk by now."

McGee rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah? And why is that? Because I puked so much at the crime scene that you guessed I was going to be dehydrated?"

Tony let out a brief, strained laugh. Then his face became stern again. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. "No, only because that's exactly what I did the first time it happened to me."

"Look Tony, if you're here to offer some advice or share your great wisdom with me, thanks, I really appreciate but... I'm not in the mood," replied McGee. He began to move to close the door, but found that Tony's foot was blocking it.

"Actually," said Tony,"I was more hoping that I could join you?" He showed McGee the plastic bag he was carrying with him and which contained a glass bottle.

McGee looked at Tony's face and it was only then that he noticed his expression and the haunted look in his eyes. Tony was feeling exactly like he was.

Sighing deeply, he released the door handle and left the door ajar. "Let yourself in," he said softly.

Without a word, Tony entered and followed Tim in the kitchen. McGee pulled a glass from the cupboard and set it on the table next to the -empty- one which was already there. Tony sat in front of the new glass and grabbed the bottle of cheap whiskey. It was almost full - McGee was about to pour his second glass when Tony had knocked on the door.

"You really drink that crap, McGee?" chuckled Tony as he read the label.

Tim only shrugged. "I - I grabbed the first thing I found in the shop. Figured it didn't really matter anyway..."

Tony briefly closed his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"I usually don't drink at all," Tim continued as he sat at the table next to Tony.

Tony nodded humourlessly. "Yeah. I know." He poured some of the cheap whiskey into their glasses. They drank quickly and for a few minutes, none of them said a word.

Then Tony heaved a sigh and put a hand on McGee's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Tim," he whispered with a shaky voice.

McGee looked up. "What? Why? It's not like you're the one who killed all these little kids and put them in that basement for us to find," he said, taken aback. It was not the fact that Tony, Great Tony, Senior Field Agent and Gibbs' most faithful follower, was apologizing, thus breaking one of Gibbs' famous precepts. It was the fact that it did not make any sense for Tony to apologize. None of what had happened that afternoon had been his fault.

"I know that, man," replied Tony. "It's just... if I hadn't insisted on taking the front door, then at least you wouldn't have been the one to find the bodies, and-" He poured himself and McGee another drink, drained it in one gulp, and winced. "God, that thing is really awful, McGee!" he exclaimed. None of them was sure whether he was only talking about the whiskey.

"Tony..." McGee said after he had emptied his own glass. "Is that why you're here? You blame yourself?" His eyes rested on the older man's face. It was strange, to see Tony like that. The man was usually good at hiding his emotions behind his jokes. In fact, McGee had only ever seen him so upset on two occasions - Kate's and the Director's deaths.

Tony shook his head and appeared to be a bit disoriented after doing so. "Yes and no. Only partly, I guess. I told you that I got drunk the first time I had to investigate a child's assassination... well, it didn't exactly only happen the first time. You know, we see so many creepy crimes every day, that you'd think after all these years I'd be used to this. But truth is, you never get used to children getting killed. Murders are never forgivable. But when the victim is a child - " he stopped, swallowing hard. McGee's hand automatically reached for the bottle. If they were going to get drunk, better have it happen quickly.

Tony's eyes looked a bit too shiny, but he still tried to smile. "I'm a caricature, you know? The drinking cop."

McGee snorted. "Yeah, and I, the rookie, learn way too fast from you." He emptied the rest of the bottle into their glasses.

There was a short moment of contemplative silence. Then, suddenly, without any warning, McGee felt himself break down. He buried his face in his hands and started to sob.

Tony was here in a second, his arms around the younger man's shoulders. As though he had been expecting this to happen all along.

"I- I can't get the images out of my head, Tony," McGee stammered. "I can't. I close my eyes and all I see is those kids- I- I don't think I'll ever be able to - to -"

"Hey, it's okay, Tim, it's okay," Tony murmured in a soothing voice. "You'll start to feel better, eventually..."

Tony held him like this until he calmed down. Then, slowly, he stood up from his chair. "Come on, McGee. I think it's time for you to try to catch some sleep," he said.

"I don't think I can sleep, Tony -"

"Tim!" cut Tony quickly. "Gibbs is going to be mad at you if you're tired tomorrow, on top of being hungover." Tony knew that this did not make any sense, but it seemed that even from a distance, Gibbs had the power to raise the drunk and make them obey.

-------

It was five in the morning when Tony heard someone knock on McGee's door. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips and he rose from the ground where he had been lying half asleep. He had an idea of who it may be.

"Boss," Tony said, unsurprised, as he opened the door. "Good morning."

"DiNozzo," replied Gibbs, obviously not surprised to find him there, either. He entered the appartment and gestured in the direction of McGee's room. The younger agent's snores could be heard from the entrance. "Is he okay?"

"He will be, eventually," replied Tony. "You came to check on him?"

"Yeah. He looked pretty upset."

"Boss, you knew I was here." It wasn't a question.

Gibbs looked at Tony and tilted his head, frowning as though to examine him. "Yeah... yeah, I had a feeling you were, Tony."

Then he entered the kitchen, shaking his head when he saw the empty bottle of whiskey. "That's a really bad choice," he commented with a grimace.

Tony smiled. "Yeah, pretty bad."

"Yet you and McGee drained a whole bottle in one evening. Explains why you're so pale."

Tony sighed. There was no point in denying it. He could only hope that Gibbs would be merciful enough not to headslap him - with his current headache, that would probably kill him. "Look, boss, I - I know I shouldn't have encouraged McGee, but I-"

Gibbs ignored him and sat at the table. "You came to bring your hangover cure, didn't you, Tony?"

"I- yes, I-" Tony pointed the plastic bag that still contained the bottle he had brought. "Lime-flower tea, lemonade, and a bit of ginger. I figured McGee might be in need of it tomorrow."

"And you," guessed Gibbs.

"And me, eventually," admitted Tony.

There was a long silence, then Gibbs stood up, opened the cupboard and searched for a clean glass. "You know, Tony, it's a cliché to say this, but I really think it's true... the moment you don't react anymore when you see that kind of things... will be the moment you have to quit."

Tony averted his eyes. "Yes boss."

Gibbs opened the bottle Tony had brought, smelled it, and filled the glass. "Here. "

"Thanks boss."

"Glad you remembered my recipe."

"I remember everything you teach me, boss."

When Tony finally looked up, Gibbs was standing at the door. "You take care of McGee, Tony. I don't want to see you two at work today. And when you come back tomorrow, I want you both to be at 100%. Is that clear?"

"Yes boss."

"Good,"said Gibbs, and without another word, he closed the door behind him.

Tony smiled. They were together. They were going to be fine.

--- The End ---


End file.
